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Under People's Pressure, the Sudanese Military Council Acknowledges the Opposition, FGF, as Sole interlocutor in the Formation of Transitional Institutions,

April 27, 2019

 

Sudanese protesters outside the army headquarters demanding civilian governemnt, 25 April, 2019

 

Sudan opposition sets up negotiating team, calls to participate in AU meeting

Sudan Tribune, April 27, 2019 (KHARTOUM) -

The opposition Freedom and Change forces have appointed their negotiating team with the military council amid calls to participate in the upcoming meeting of the African Union on Sudan by the end of April.

Following an agreement reached on Wednesday, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) has acknowledged the Freedom and Change forces (FGF) as its sole interlocutor to discuss the formation of the transitional institution in Sudan.

Also, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) will hold a meeting on 30 April to discuss the situation in Sudan as it has given the TMC 15 days to transfer power to civilian authority. The meeting is expected to approve a recommendation made by African leaders recently to extend the two-week ultimatum to three months.

Omer al-Digair, the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) told Sudan Tribune on Friday that the opposition forces appointed its committee and now ready for the resumption of negotiations with the army over the transitional period institutions.

The delegation includes "Ali al-Sanhouri, Mariam al-Mahdi, Mohamed Nagi al-Asam, Ayman Khalid Haydar al-Safi and himself," he said.

The talks are expected to begin very soon.

The main disagreement between the two sides is about the transitional presidency as the army wants to keep its role on the head of the state while the opposition says it should be a civilian authority. However, the Freedom and Change forces do not exclude the participation of the army.

For the other institutions: the transitional government and parliament, the military council say they do not want to take part in it.

Yasir Arman, Sudan Call’s external relations official said the opposition should take part in the PSC meeting to explain their position, pointing they are the partner of the military council.

Arman suggested that the PSC forthcoming decision about the three-month extension should include a roadmap for Sudanese to achieve the democratic transition.

He pointed out that this roadmap should include, among others, some steps to ensure a real democratic transition in Sudan.

"In three months, a civilian government must be formed with clear constitutional powers," he said before to stress that "This government should not be an extension of military rule".

The deputy head of the SPLM-N Agar added that the African plan should provide that Sudanese should reach a comprehensive peace in no more than six months, open humanitarian access to civilians in the conflict zone, and to release all detained members of the armed groups, as part of the confidence-building measures.

The roadmap, according to Arman, should also include a "constitutional conference to resolve the issue of how Sudan should be governed at the end of the transitional period", and to hold internationally monitored free elections at the end of the period.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67432

Huge rally backs Sudan’s opposition demand for power transfer

Sudan Tribune, April 25, 2019 (KHARTOUM) -

Thousands of Sudanese Thursday took part in a huge rally outside the army headquarters in Khartoum to support the opposition demand for power transfer to civil authority 15 days after the removal of former President al-Bashir.

Besides Khartoum population, thousands came from Sudan’s different parts of Sudan to challenge the Sudanese military council. Also, demonstrations were organized in the capitals of the states to back the call for power handover.

Demonstrators at the army headquarters were joined, for the first time, by dozens of judges holding banners calling for the reforms to ensure the independence of the judiciary and to express their support for the revolution.

Massive crowds heading for the rally caused total paralysis of the movement in central Khartoum, where many athletes, journalists and several professional sectors organized marches to join the sit-in.

Also, a large number of protesters gathered in the vicinity of the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum to demand that Egypt not interfere in Sudanese affairs.

"Tell al-Sisi that this is Sudan. Your border stops in Aswan" shouted the protesters who rejected the outcome of a recent meeting that extended a delay given by the African Union from two weeks o three months.

The Sudanese Professionals Association organizes a continued sit-in that began on 6 April outside the Sudanese army headquarters in Khartoum.

The forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change and the military, on Wednesday, formed a joint committee to discuss the formation of the transitional government and determine the term of the transitional period.

However, reports from Khartoum on Thursday say no major breakthrough has been achieved on the difference over the transitional council and its powers.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67428  

Saudi Arabia, UAE announce $3 billion aid for Sudan

Sudan Tribune, April 21, 2019 (KHARTOUM) -

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday announced a joint initiative to provide $3 billion in assistance to Sudan.

According to the Saudi state news agency SPA, the grant includes a $500 million deposit into Sudan’s central bank to strengthen the country’s monetary reserves.

The rest of the assistance bundle will be in the form of food, medicine, and petroleum products.

Large protests that started on 19 December 2018 have led to the ouster of former President Omer al-Bashir and a Transitional Military Council (TMC) has taken over power on 11 April.

The resentment over the government’s inability to address fundamental economic issues has helped fuel the protests.

Sudan lost 75% of its oil reserves after the southern part of the country became an independent nation in July 2011, denying the north billions of dollars in revenues. Oil revenue constituted more than half of Sudan’s revenue and 90 percent of its exports.

The withdrawal of South Sudan oil has compounded the difficult external environment, including debt arrears, limited access to external financing, U.S. sanctions, and the withdrawal of correspondent bank relations.

The country’s inflation rate reached 73 per cent in December.

The most recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report indicated that Sudan’s gross international reserves remained very low in 2017 ($1.1 billion, 1¾ months of imports).

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67410

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